Best Cuban Restaurants Raleigh Near Me

Yandris Rodríguez: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 4/5More

Donell HD: Very nice place! Live DJ while your eating! Would reccomend!!Food: 4/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

adam kovac: Very slow serviceFood: 1/5|Service: 1/5|Atmosphere: 1/5 …More

Yamile Deniz: Nice food and dessertRecommended dishes Cuban Sandwich, Tres Leches Cake …More

Edd Hughes: Terrible!Food was way below average.No way they can say it is a cuban restaurant.Married a cuban woman this is not even close to cuban food.I'm from Miami!

Yoisbel Molina: Excelente lugar para comer y un servicio de 5 estrellas gracias por tener un pedacito de mi tierra en Raeligh Carolina del Norte

Kiley Seitzinger: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes Cuban Sandwich, Black Beans, Lechon Asado, Fried PlantainsMore

José Aguilar: Food was just ok, I was actually a little disappointed, even though they switch my wife’s food because her food was cold, the second plate was not any better than the first. The service and the atmosphere were excellent, we will probably comeback and give it another try.Food: 3/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Sharon: Being new in town we thought we would check out the local Cuban place. I’m married to a Cuban, born in Cuba so we know our Cuban food. Not to mention NJ, where we’re from has the largest Cuban population next to Miami. I’ve been to more Cuban reataurants than diners. We went on an early Sunday night and there was what seemed like a party in the parking lot. Music and dancing, all good signs. Walk in and there were some patrons sitting at the bar and a few patrons at tables. Some of the tables were full of dirty dishes, again good sign that theyre busy so it must be good. We figure the tables just havent been bused yet and will be before we’re seated. We stood by the bar waiting for an employee to greet us as we did not see a sign saying seat yourself nor did we see a hostest stand. After 10 minutes we finally get the attention of a waiter and he says you can sit anywhere and someone will bring you menus. So we find a somewhat clean table albeit wobbly. We sit and we wait and wait and wait a few more minutes. 20 minutes in total before my husband gets the attention of another waiter and asks for menus. After receiving our menus we waited another 15 minutes before getting the attention of the guy who told us to sit anywhere and told him we’re ready to order. We’ve now been at the reataurant 45 min. None of the dirty tables were bused in the 45 minutes we waited. After giving our order which included appetizers, entrees and drinks we waited another 15 minutes. Our waiter comes over and asks us if we ordered cokes and said yes 15 minutes ago with our food. He said he would be right back with our drinks. He comes over with 2 glasses of cokes and 1 straw. My glass was half full of soda. I told him this glass is only half full can you fill up the glass? Im not paying for a half glass of soda ($3 ea). At this point it has now been an hour and I’m hungry and getting annoyed and said to my hisband, nope I’m not doing this anymore. I don’t want to be here. My husband signaled to the waiter and told him to forget it, were out. I ahould also mention that while we waited the hour there were 2 other tables that got up and walked out as they too were never waited on. The dirty tables still sat dirty.I was really hoping that they could redeem themselves with the food but it never got that far. Sorry this Cuban reataurant is a no for us.

Greg Green: Just be aware after 2 o'clock you will get charged dinner prices and get lunch size portions.Food: 4/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Viviane Mejía: Tasty foodFood: 4/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 4/5 …More

Brianna Molina: Want to know about Casa Cubana Owners!!! Rosy and Jonathan to be exact refused to give me my paystubs and blocked me when I asked. NOW they are refusing AGAIN to give me paystubs because Rosy is an emotional woman who wants and Apology due to the fact I posted a TRUTHFUL review about them and they didn’t like it. After the fact they blocked me. They are UNPROFESSIONAL, CHILDISH, and aren’t even Cuban so if you guys are coming for AUTHENTIC CUBAN FOOD that’s not the place nobody in there is Cuban.¿Quiere saber sobre los propietarios de Casa Cubana? Rosy y Jonathan, para ser exactos, se negaron a darme mis talones de pago y me bloquearon cuando se los pedí. AHORA se niegan OTRA VEZ a darme talones de pago porque Rosy es una mujer emocional que quiere una disculpa por el hecho de que publiqué una reseña VERDADERA sobre ellos y no les gustó. Después del hecho me bloquearon. Son POCO PROFESIONALES, INFANTILES y ni siquiera son cubanos, así que si vienen por COMIDA CUBANA AUTÉNTICA, ese no es el lugar donde nadie es cubano.

Angel Pascasio: Excelentes personal, amabilidad y buen servicio. Me gusta el ambiente de los domingo, bien familiar!!!!!

Kalila Zarah: I love the Casa Cubana They have salsa and bachata classes every Sunday. I and my family have so much fun and the food is fantastic. Especially the mofongos are divine and the Kam Kam chop. The place is super hygienic. Honestly, I love it.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

ADM LEIDY: Yesterday I went to Casa Cubana. It's a spectacular restaurant. The incredible food and the best thing is the attention. The owners are incredible. I met them and they gave the best attention to me and my family. Thank youFood: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Alan Guapo: management is abysmal, service is lackluster, and the owners are disrespectfulthe kitchen and restaurant are disgusting all tho disguisedthey dont pay their servers on time, checks bounce, they talk to their employees however they see fitthe owners are always drinking on the jobive seen roaches in the restaurantand after the bad service and not eating anything that was brought out to us they offered us free lemonade, no refund, no credit, a sour lemonade

Oscar Gordillo: Fantastic ambiance, food, and service. Good for happy hour with a live band.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

David Bracero: New owners don't have it together yet. Service was super bad to the point where patrons were leaving after waiting to long for service. Everyone at our table was served ten minutes apart. Same with drinks. Short staffed apparently due to new owners. Seemed like there heading for disaster coming from someone who knows business. A Shame. Oh by the way 18% service charge over 100.00 is the gratuity. Don't fall for giving them another 18 - 22% over that cause you'll wind up paying 30- 40% tip.

Josué Gutiérrez: Servició horrible, nunca llegó la comida después de 1 hora y 15 minutos.🤬🤬🤬😡😡y para colmo hoy día de los padres, viaje desde Virginia para comer aquí y fue una decepción 😞 . Soy cocinero, carnicero y supervisor . Hací que hice mi propia comida.

JOHN P: Unfortunately it took over 1 hour to bring the food to the table, the plates are really small and not great. I wont go back to this place again.Food: 3/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 3/5Parking space Difficult to find parking …More

William Delcarmen: Great food as always but seems like they recently went up on their pricing. The echo is crazy loud.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 2/5 …More

Ian Fox: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes Signature Steak Arepa, Arepa, Chicken Arepa Parking space Plenty of parking Parking options Free parking lotMore

Karen Gonzalez: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5More

Brent Marion: Amazing food!!!Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes Black Beans, Grilled Chicken, 2 Arepas, Shredded Chicken, Chicken Avocado …More

BD: When visiting this establishment, I recommend carefully reviewing your bill each time. Unfortunately, I had an experience where I was overcharged for an item I did not order. It was also disappointing that they didn't clarify the additional cost for guacamole, especially considering the restaurant's name is Guasaca. Consider holding your tip until you have received your service.

G V Debnam: My friend introduced me to Guasaca and this was our 2nd visit together. I enjoyed the chicken arepas! He always insists on fettung a side of Guasaca. I'll be back and may bring my nephew.Parking: Going at the peak of lunch time typically means some extra time to find a parking spot but that's because there are some many restaurants and businesses right there together.

James Sullivan: We'd go backFood: 4/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 4/5 …More

Laura Landsiedel Ford: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 3/5More

Cassie Hall: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes 2 Arepas, Avocado Chicken, Chicken ArepaMore

David Smith: Decor is a bit dated but the food is incredible. Will go again and again.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 3/5 …More

Scott Hutcheson: Wife and I visited for the first time in a few years. It used to be delicious, but this time it was very different. We went in around 5:30pm on a Tuesday and the food all tasted old. My wife and I ordered the fried chicken arepas and the "fried chicken" was just breading, there was literally no chicken in the breading. The arepas did not taste fresh. They did make my wife a new fried chicken arepa, but I had already eaten mine before I discovered what I was eating. I also had the grilled chicken, but it tasted like it had been sitting around for awhile.It was extremely disappointing.

Kent Wetherhold: My wife and I were looking for a simple, quick lunch. We love Mexican and they were on our way. Plenty of parking with easy access. Service was quick and the Arepas were excellent. Been there twice and we'll be going again soon. Highly recommend.

Poeta Oscuro: White lady was racist and pretend she didn’t understand my English. She would also charge more if I ask for just one more green sauce, a problem I didn’t have before with anyone else working there. Great food, bad service.

Heath Buckmaster: One of the best fast food meals in a long time. Strong and bold flavours and fast friendly service. We had the chicken and steak arepas which were fantastic but the highlight is their guacamole. Delicious.Recommended dishes Vegetarian Includes Guasaca, Chicken Arepa …More

Bryan Lambeth: Food: 5/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 4/5More

Darrius Caldwell (Slizzaru): Great food , great people and and very polite people!Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Jordan Cao: Consistently delicious. A good option for lunch during the work day. Food is tasty and ingredients are fresh. I've not had a bad meal here. I have had to wait a couple times for them to cook whatever protein because they ran out on the serving station, but they do tend to be quick enough when they happens. It can get a little noisy if it's really crowded.

Hiedi Wilson: Nice atmosphere and great food.

erin hope: This place is closed! My poor sister in law had her hopes up to eat some delicious Puerto Rican food after giving birth. I had to be the bearer of bad news after showing up at this location to find out it’s a pizzeria now! Not cool, not cool.

Amanda Page: Spanglish has closed. I drove by today and they was putting a new sign up that says Falls Cafe.

Len Sturdivant: I don't know... maybe they're getting ready to sell the spot. The guy behind the register clearly didn't want to be there. Not going back there.Food: 3/5|Service: 3/5|Atmosphere: 2/5 …More

Jasmine Person: Fast food service and lots of options. The empanadas are really good especially the beef and the buffalo chicken. My favorite of the menu is the San Juan to RDU but the southern gentlemen is a close runner up. For sandwiches you can't go wrong with the Cuban or the tripleta. If you can make it for brunch they do have several flavorful dishes. There are some bottled local beers available but no taps.Vegetarian options: There are several options on the menu with jackfruit instead of meat.Dietary restrictions: Several gluten free and vegetarian options that are delicious. I like the jackfruit sandwich

Frank Sirico Jr: I stumbled onto this place several months ago. It's a little hard to find parking during the lunch rush, but it's Sooo worth it!! I love the Spanglish Cuban!! That's my go to. The Slow-cooked pork, ham, pickles, mustard are so delicious.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Jacob Myers: The food is good but its so slow. Everytime i come here it takes at least 25 minutes to get my food but could be longer.

Jennifer Rodriguez: My sandwich was amazing! I wish I lived closer so that I could go more often!

Dani Barcellona: Great food, horrible service. Ordered pickup and had to wait over 25 minutes for the food. They had some of our food made, let it sit for 20 minutes before they made the rest. When we finally got the food, it was was wrong and they had to remake it. No offer to make it right for the long wait and then incorrect order. Since it was takeout, half the food was cold by the time we got it. Workers were rude and apathetic. Barely any options to chose from for a drink as the drink fridge was mainly empty.

Kenneth Smith: YummyFood: 3/5|Service: 3/5|Atmosphere: 3/5Parking space Plenty of parking Parking options Free parking lot …More

Jesus Cuevas: Good sandwiches, especially the Cuban sandwich.

Tim Mitchell: Ordered online from their website for pickup food almost $70, and when i went to pick it up they are closed. hours online and on their door say they open at 8am today. Called the store no answer unable to leave voicemail.Update: Received contact from owner to resolve issue.

B Charms Xo: AMAZINGFood: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Vanessa Cromartie: Fried chicken sandwich wirh fried egg and maple dijon sauce really good.Daughter had baja bacon cheddar and egg sandwich with avocado spread, also good.

Sergio Castro: The food is delicious... It is all well satisfied with the taste and the service. I recommend it 100%.

Morgan Crutchfield: Hard to make a salad outstanding but my buffalo chicken salad was a huge win. Super fresh and tasty, well proportioned, and dressed just right. A smidge pricey but honestly worth it. They could use some new furniture outside. Our wobbly table was an adventure

Elizabeth Welch: The food was delicious and reminded me of the Caribbean food I always had in Miami growing up! The Roasted Pear Salad was 😍!! The value of the high quality food that you get for the price is unbeatable. Amazing customer service is just the cherry on top. Can't wait to try more of their food!

Jason Talmadge: Prob the worst Cuban sandwich I’ve ever tried. The bread was a slightly larger grocery store hamburger bun that they “pressed” but no hiding how generic the bread was. A great sandwich is all about the bread along with some great flavor. This Cuban lacked both! Don’t waste your money. Friendly service.

Gabby Sarah: No longer at the location.

Julie Marino: wish i could find you again… suddenly disappeared and I was all set to become a regularRecommended dishes Cuban Sandwich …More

朱丽莎老师: March 2023 update: now that they moved locations, it’s hard to find them. A few weeks ago they were at the new Chatham Street location near the hair salon as listed on Google maps and their website. Now, they are nowhere to be found. I called and no one answered. It was great when they were at their permanent location. Now, there’s no guarantee you can find the place. I’m very disappointed.Omgg, soooo good!! The owner made my colada himself. The guava & cheese patty was warm, moist, and flaky. I was in absolute heaven. I also got Yuca Frita & a beef empanada. So glad I found this place! I used to eat Cuban food every day when I was living in another city.Ps: Papi told me the coffee is his own special roast!! They have their custom roast prepared fresh each week. Definitely come here! So good.One single negative aspect was that the beef empanada shell was so big but there was barely any beef in it. There was just a tiny bit shoved into the bottom of the shell — maybe just 1/5 of the empanada had meat . I’m used to eating empanadas that are mostly full, around 3/4 full. I would suggest this restaurant make smaller shells if they’re only going to put a tiny bit of meat. Or, add more meat to their current shells.

christopher martin: Just moved back home to NC. One thing I missed about South Florida is the Cubano. As close as you can get without being there. Only thing its missing is the potato sticks.

Stephanie Penn: So disappointed drove an hour to come eat at this place and they were closed! I checked the hours and it said they opened at 8 and nobody was there! Why post business hours if you’re not going to be there?

Casey Angel: Great sandwiches! Definitely the most authentic Cuban food in the Triangle, well done!Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 4/5 …More

Haley Reeder: My boyfriend grew up in Miami, and I was excited to find a Cuban restaurant near us! It's more like a food truck, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the food.My boyfriend got a Colada with Splenda, and I got a Cafe con Leche. Both drinks were absolutely delicious, and my bf said it reminded him of what he could get in Miami.We also got two guava pastries - you could tell these were homemade! The filling was tart & delicious! I also got the "breakfast plain and simple" (egg & Swiss on Cuban bread). It was tasty!The only slight disappointment was the Cuban bread itself - it was just ok. Other than that, great customer service and delicious coffee & pastries!

Rachel Gonzalez: As a Cuban myself, this place is authentic. Super nice people and the food is great. I got the 305 sandwich and the pastellitos which reminded me much of home.Recommended dishes Cuban Sandwich …More

Marc Macenko: Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes Ham Croquette, Cuban Sandwich Parking space Plenty of parking Parking options Free parking lotMore

Huck929: Good riddence! - subpar service and over priced food. 15 dollars for a tiny sandwich. Only the privileged people living in the triangle would rate this place 5 stars. My order was placed online and a pick up time was confirmed. I showed up to the place at the confirmed time and they didn't even start making my sandwich yet. Defeats the purpose of online ordering if you ask me. Also, this was NOT a food truck! It's a trailer home converted to a take out joint. The trailer parked in that empty lot all day every day. I don't understand how something like that can justify the price they charged for their food and drinks honestly. They must've been raking it in with all these 5 star review. Also, the mobile trailer is an eye sore for the area tbh! Now it looks like it's being replaced with a new entity called "Steak on Wheels". The mobile trailer looks exactly the same except now with a new banner with a new name. Won't fool me again.

kumar k: Expensive and subpar foodFood: 2/5|Service: 1/5|Atmosphere: 2/5 …More

Janette Rod: Authentic Cuban food! Greatly needed in the area. Delicious media noche and Cuban sandwich! Keep up the great work. Will definitely be back again.Food: 5/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 3/5 …More

Terry Norris: Food truck, good Cuban food, friendly staff. I will be returning soonFood: 4/5|Service: 3/5|Atmosphere: 3/5 …More

Y O: PHENOMENAL! I have been searching for an authentic, delicious Cubano and finally, I found it here. Don't walk, RUN here for an amazing meal.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Mat Warren: Great food and atmosphereFood: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Kalahan Warren: Such a cute little place to eat and chill definitely recommend :)

Thomas Patterson: Delicious food and wonderful service, I got the 305 and enjoyed every bite. Will definitely be going back and highly recommend to all!

Melanie Steigelmann: I heard so much about cuban coffee, I just had to try it. I am an avid fan of coffee. I have had SO many machines: many brands-from drips, to Keurigs to italian espresso machines and french press machine but I've never had the cuban coffee in my life until this year. I was on a mission to try this type of coffee. I went to a cute place in Raleigh and they gave me a drink that tasted like coffee flavored milk. Soooo disappointed. My husband promised me from his experience with Cuban coffee in Florida this was not authentic. So, my friend told me this PAPI's was THE place to go for cuban coffee. After my last experience, I decided to get a coffee but not with any milk. It was so creamy brown and frothy I thought he put milk in it. Boy, was she RIGHT! This was the BEST tasting coffee I've ever had. I couldn't believe how right everyone was about this coffee. I am extremely tolerant to caffeine but after only 2 tiny sips, it was like I had a Venti from Starbucks. Don't let the tiny cup you get fool you! It will get you going like a quad espresso from Starbucks :) And I think tastes waaaaaaay better! Enjoy!

Kr11: Parking: Rocky

Daniel Debrecht: The restaurant itself has a great feel, the individuals that were working there were polite and informative. The food was very expensive for what it was. The 20% charge for a living wage adjustment was not expected. It does not make sense to serve overpriced food, recommended tipping, and tack on a 20% charge.Food: 2/5|Service: 4/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

Dave: Service and food were both great. The one thing that rubbed us the wrong way was a 20% :living wage fee" that was automatically added to our check before a tip was even asked for. You'd think that 20% fee on top of menu prices and tax like that would be the tip. Unusual and made departure/payment uncomfortable.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 4/5Recommended dishes Classic Cuban Sandwich …More

Michael Parker: Very enjoyable. Coconut Curry Shrimp FTW. All items on menu are 20% more than you think.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5 …More

John: 4.5 stars. Awesome food and sauces but wasn't a huge fan of the ShrimpBar service is fantastic. Great cocktailsFood: 4/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 4/5 …More

Kevin O'Riley: Always a stellar experience! Great service, delicious food, and amazing cocktails.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Recommended dishes Classic Cuban Sandwich …More

Martin Brown: Excellent food and serviceFood: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 5/5Dine in: Yes Outdoor seating: Yes …More

Dom Manning: This is the kind of place where they act like you need a reservation even when they have 5 empty tables. Their chicken was so dry I didn't finish it. I am ok with the automatic 20% tip but the service sucked. Had to ask several times for more water even though everyone's glass was empty. If you ask for a drink other than alcohol, they make you order from the 'zero proof" menu, which is the almost the same cost as the with alcohol drinks. Some dishes come fries, but when you pay $28 for a dry, quarter chicken, no ketchup for you.

Eli Madding: The service sucked, because it automatically charged us a 20% living wage fee.

Cynthia T: Service was great but the food was very mediocre and overpriced. Not to mention there is a living wage fee of 20%!!! That doesn't include tip and it came out to almost $30 extra. I will not be bavk I only gave two stars bc of the service.

Leyna Bernstein: Fantastic experience here for a one night stay in Durham. The cocktail menu has great variety and we loved our drinks (mescal margarita and their take on a Manhattan.)We ordered off the tapas menu, and particularly enjoyed the black bean tacos (tortillas made in house, and you can taste the difference) and the cheese plate.Our waiter, Doug, was superb. So knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. He made it a great night!

Jennifer Leaf: The experience was worth half of what I paid. The food was so salty that even my salt loving husband was overwhelmed by it, rendering dishes almost inedible. It was so loud, even half full, that we couldn't hear each other. The next day we couldn't recall our conversations and we only had two drinks. It was so loud cognition was dimished. Service was lackluster but we found out halfway through dinner they were short-staffed so that wasn't entirely within their control. The rest of dinner was.

Cameron Garrison: Good, not great! Drinks and ambiance were the best part. Food was like a 6 out of 10. Very expensive also.

Andrew Turnbull: Amazing food by Roberto accompanied by an artful ambiance. Come for the amazing cocktails and Latin inspired cuisine. The food is succulent and the chef does and excellent job of elevating the Cuban and Latin traditions. Don't expect only traditional dishes but rather foods inspired by these cultures.

Gaebryl V: I've never felt the need to write a review on a restaurant until now. I visited copa today after wanting to try it for a while now. I ordered their shrimp curry which was served with rice and a "salad". The rice was bland and undercooked, the salad was just raw, hard to digest, kale tossed in some kind of oil. No seasoning. Nothing in addition to this "salad" Just kale. The curry had no flavor and the shrimp was chewy/overcooked. Another member of my party had the same experience with their rice and salad, along with their pork being flavorless. Their black beans tasted as if they were poured right out of a can. Watery and unflavored. When we approached a server (not ours because they were not very mindful of our table) about our concerns out steps the head chef to hear our complaints. We explained how we felt about the dishes and how it lacked authenticity. There are few times where I have found a meal unpalatable but unfortunately tonight was one of them.

William Fisher: I could not recommend it. The portions are tiny and it is expensive for mediocre food. The atmosphere is nice, service was adequate, but unless you like throwing money away for no reason, I would steer clear.Also on top of our $100 bill for 2, they had the audacity to add a living wage fee to our bill and then ask for tip on top. The burden of paying your employees well should never be on the consumer and this is another bogus way to cheat money out of people.

Lucas Virgil: Recommended dishes Fried Pork Belly, Loaded Plantain ChipsMore

Sergio Sam: Small yet nice and casual relaxed atmosphere for a break, enjoying some tapas and a beer with friend/sGreat staff and really nice food!Good for a dinner or a beer with your company colleagues if nearby

Jules: Absolute Perfection! 🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟Had a wonderful experience at Copa. Our server was Doug, he was attentive and extremely knowledgeable about everything on the menu. My partner ordered the La Diosa Negra drink and I took the tiniest sip and it was mind blowing! (Followed by a few more amazed small sips) I’ve actually never had such an intricately perfected drink in my life. We complimented the drink to Doug and later, Elizabeth came to chat with us. She is the creator of the drink/part owner of Copa and was one of the most sincere, kind, and passionate people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was kind enough to share a little more info about how the drink is concocted, and did so with the most pleasant and enthusiastic energy. It made me realize that most people really aren’t living life quite like we should. She embodied an exuberant joy that was simply infectious.Also, kudos to the restaurant for adding the “living wage” fee or tip to the bill. As someone who has previously worked in food service, I understand the measly $2ish hourly wage only (barely) covers the taxes owed on the server’s income. Our party felt like the server deserved more like 40% and tipped accordingly.Food = deliciousDrinks = mind blowingService = unprecedentedThank you to Doug and Elizabeth for a truly remarkable experience.

Ken Presting: Absolutely brilliant quisine. Dining area too noisy for comfortable conversation.Food: 5/5|Service: 5/5|Atmosphere: 4/5 …More

Courtney: My boyfriend and I were excited to try Copa's Cuban-inspired, vegan/vegetarian tapas.We arrived just after opening, and the hostess appeared to already be overwhelmed. She informed us that all tables were booked, and we offered to sit at the bar and eat. She said that they didn't start serving people at the bar until 6PM. That's fine -- may we put a reservation down? No, sorry, the system won't let me because we're too booked up. Okay, I guess we'll try somewhere else.As we walked outside, I pulled up Copa's website and was able to enter a reservation for two people at the bar at 6:45PM. The whole ordeal was confusing -- why wouldn't the restaurant's own system allow the host to enter a reservation?The food was unimpressive. Flavor of the black bean tacos was good, but they were small, and the dish only came with two tacos. The "large" potato and leek empanada was mostly air with a tiny spoonful of filling. The plantain chips were fine - nothing really special and definitely not "loaded" as written on the menu. The saffron creme fraiche that came with the chips was good. After several rounds of tapas, we were still hungry. So I opted for the veggie paella. Taste was good but not mind-blowing and definitely not worth $35.The drinks were great but, like most craft cocktails in downtown Durham, overpriced.We had four drinks (total), three tapas, and the paella for around $150 in total. Fortunately, Copa pays a living wage, so we weren't expected to tip on top of that.We didn't experience the customer service issues others are complaining about. I don't care about smiles, small talk, or someone going out of their way to make me feel special. As long as staff are attentive, they're doing their job. I don't need or expect more than that. The service industry is brutal, and often, folks don't understand what it is like to have to make a daily living serving others. Perhaps folks complaining about subpar service should lower their expectations or ask themselves why they feel they've somehow been wronged.Overall, you're paying for the experience of the restaurant and not the food, both of which are underwhelming at best. I left hungry and disappointed. Would probably go back for a special occasion drink.